Deleted Scenes from Starlings of the Slipstream, Season 5 Episode 12
by CovertWriter
Summary: I often wish we could see more of Annie's and Auggie's lives than the tiny snippet we get in an episode. I finally decided to script a few "deleted scenes" from this most recent episode. I've done one so far, but plan to do more if I can find the time. And I thought some of you out in fanfic land might appreciate reading them as well.
1. Chapter 1: Annie's Apartment

ANNIE: What kind of situation?

BARBER: It's about Auggie.

ANNIE: [_Impatient_] Spit it out, Barber.

BARBER: Auggie was arrested last night. He just called me and asked me to go bail him

out. D.C. lockup. But I thought it might be better if you—

ANNIE: Arrested? What happened?

_[As she talks, she makes a worried face at McQuaid, then turns and walk out into the open living area.]_

BARBER: Well, you know, his friend died. The one from the State Department?

ANNIE: Yeah, I know. I saw him—I mean, I saw Auggie—at the hospital. He was really upset cause they were telling him it was alcohol poisoning, I think. Last I

saw him, he was going to talk to the medical examiner…

BARBER: Right. Well, that didn't go so well. I think they might've gotten into a fight. You know, or something.

ANNIE: Thanks for calling, Barber. I…Auggie should've called _me_. [Hesitates.] He— I think maybe he's upset with me. Hasn't been returning my calls and texts.

BARBER: Oh. Well, I can definitely go down there and get him. I know you two aren't dating anymore. I just thought—I thought you'd want to know.

ANNIE: It's fine. I'll take care of it.

BARBER: Are you sure? I can definitely go if—

_[He hears the click of the phone as Annie hangs up. In Annie's apartment, she looks around and sees McQuaid still sipping coffee, waiting with a quizzical expression.]_

ANNIE: Uh, sorry about that. I, uh, I gotta go.

_[She hooks her thumb toward the door, then realizes she's still just wearing a tank top. Before Ryan can say anything, she rushes off toward the bedroom, and comes back out in a few moments with a suit jacket on. She picks up her purse and goes back to McQuaid.]_

RYAN: Who got arrested?

ANNIE: Uh, my handler. I mean, my old handler. I mean…Auggie. August Anderson.

RYAN: Anderson…yeah, Arthur's talked about him. I mean, the two of you. You…he's your ex, right?

ANNIE: [Eyebrows up, surprised.] You talked to Arthur about my love life?

RYAN: I've been quizzing him about you—everything about you—since the first time I met you. And yes, I think the question of whether you were dating anyone

came up pretty early on.

ANNIE: Well, Auggie and I haven't been together since…since before I—I _died_. It's been a long time. Or feels like a long time. But…he's my best friend.

_ [Sighs.]_ And, he's…he's blind.

RYAN: _[Raises eyebrows.]_ Blind. Really.

ANNIE: Yeah—Arthur didn't tell you? Anyway, it doesn't matter—I'm just a little nervous about him being in lockup overnight.

RYAN: _[Lets out a breath.]_ Yeah. You should go.

ANNIE: Yeah. I'll see you later?

RYAN: Sure. I'll be at the office. And, I'm going to want the whole story.

ANNIE: _[Heading toward the door.]_ Okay. As soon as I can get there.

RYAN: _[A half smile on his face. He waves her off, taking a sip of coffee.]_ Take your time. Take care of your friend.


	2. Chapter 2: Washington, DC Jail

Chapter 2: Washington, D.C. Jail

ANNIE: Come on. We're parked outside.

_[Auggie finds Annie's elbow, and they head out of the waiting area, down a short hallway into an entryway, and out onto the front steps. Annie pauses to let Auggie know they're starting down steps, then heads down and to the right. down the sidewalk Her car is a block away.]_

ANNIE: Did you know they charged you with simple assault? I've got the papers for you. Do you have a lawyer to call?

AUGGIE: Yeah. It's gonna be fine. They dropped the charges last time, so my record is clean…more or less. It's just a misdemeanor. I might have to do community service. I wouldn't mind that. My weekends were getting a little boring. _[The corners of his mouth turn up a little.]_

ANNIE: I hope it's just a misdemeanor. Langley isn't too keen on felonies. Come to think of it, they're really not big fans of misdemeanors, either. And Arthur's not there to protect you.

AUGGIE: No, but Calder and I have an understanding. It's gonna be fine. You've got more to worry about than this.

ANNIE: I was _worried_ about you being in jail overnight. Did they treat you ok? Anybody…I mean, it can get rough in there.

AUGGIE: _[sounding weary] _Come on, Walker. I hope you don't think I can't handle a few drunks and a wife beater. The worst they could do was wave their hands in front of my face and make some jokes. I've heard 'em all before. _[Shrugs slightly, almost too slightly to notice.]_

[_Annie winces a little and glances back at Auggie, but his face is expressionless.]_

ANNIE: I know you can handle yourself. But I can still worry about you. _[They walk up to the car, and she hesitates.] _I'm taking you home, right? Or do you want to stop for coffee or breakfast?

AUGGIE: Home. [_He reflexively feels for the hands of his watch, but it__'__s not there.] _What t time is it? Hard to keep track in there.

ANNIE: It's just 8. If you want, I'll wait while you get ready, and I can drop you at work.

AUGGIE: _[Acts as if he__'__s going to shake his head and refuse her offer, but he seems to reconsider.] _That would be great. Thanks. And, thanks—a lot—for coming to get me. I appreciate it.

ANNIE: _[She takes his hand from her elbow and guides it to the door handle, then heads to the driver side.] _You'd do the same for me, right? Wait a minute—I think you actually _have _done the same for me!

AUGGIE: Well, technically, I think Joan was the one to get you out. But I helped. All in a day's work.


	3. Chapter 3: McQuaid Security

_Author's Note: I had to insert this new chapter before the one that takes place in Auggie's apartment - I simply forgot to write it before I wrote the other chapter! Oops. :) FYI, I also rewrote the scene in Auggie's apartment, to fit in better with the next scene, when Annie leaves for the airport. _

**Chapter 3: McQuaid Security, just after Annie picks Auggie up from the DC jail**

_[Annie taps lightly on Ryan's office door, then pushes it open and peeks in.]_

RYAN: Hey. Back already?

ANNIE: Yeah, the DC bureaucracy was actually working this morning. Didn't take long to get him out.

RYAN: What happened last night?

ANNIE: After I saw you at the hospital, I ran into Auggie there. He'd just found out his friend Tony Salgado died. Tony was with the State Department - he was in charge of the motorcade that Caitlin and Belenko bombed.

RYAN: Okay…I think I'm following. Auggie was friends with a State Department lackey who was involved with Belenko and is now dead. But that doesn't explain why he was arrested.

ANNIE: At the hospital, they told Auggie Tony drank himself to death, but Auggie didn't believe it. He was really upset when I saw him. Auggie's got a bit of a temper, to put it mildly, and I guess things got out of hand.

RYAN: They'd have to get *way* out of hand for the cops to arrest a blind guy, wouldn't they?

ANNIE: _[Snorts.]_ You'd be surprised. People usually come out worse for the wear when they tangle with Auggie.

RYAN: _[Sounding doubtful.] _Really. What's his background?

ANNIE: He's been with the agency since college as far as I know—don't know the details of his missions, but I assume it involved hacking secure computer systems. Then he was embedded with a Special Operations unit in Iraq in 2007. His unit was attacked and their humvee bombed. The rest of his unit was killed.

RYAN: Wow. _[Pauses, and cocks his head a bit to peer closely into her eyes.] _Were you two serious?

ANNIE: [_Scoffs, clearly annoyed, and rolls her eyes.] _Ryan! If you have to know, we were only together about 6 weeks. But like I told you, he's still my best friend.

RYAN: _[Persistent.] _Why just 6 weeks?

ANNIE: _[Pauses to think, then shakes her head.] _I can't get into this, Ryan. It's part of a whole other story, about why I went dark then went off the grid for four months. The point is, I have to talk to you about Auggie, and Tony. And why we think Belenko might be targeting another special operations unit Auggie was in. The other two members were Charlie Schinderman and Nathan Mueller.

RYAN: Those four were in a unit together? Doing what?

ANNIE: I don't know, but Auggie says he doesn't know of any connection to Belenko. It can't be just coincidence, can it?

RYAN: _[Shaking his head, one eyebrow raised skeptically.] _Schinderman's killed by a suicide bomber paid by Belenko, and the CIA killed Nathan Mueller based on bad intel that Mueller paid for Chicago. Tony - we don't know much about. We should start there.

ANNIE: I've got his address. I'm heading there after dark. Just hope he doesn't have family coming in from out of town that will want to stay at his place.

RYAN: You'll figure something out. You always do. _[He moves toward her and put a hand on the back of her head, pulling her in gently for a kiss.] _You'll let me know what you find out? After you let Auggie know?

ANNIE: _[Chuckles a little, and nods, her reply not much more than a whisper.] _You'll be the second to know.


	4. Chapter 4: Auggie's Apartment (REVISED)

_Author's Note: I rewrote the last half of this scene so that Annie stays there while Auggie finds the list of laboratories, and Annie gets Belenko's itinerary. It works better for her to stay there at least that long, since she'll be leaving on a flight within a couple of hours and Auggie has to bring her more detailed info on a flash drive. Frankly, I don't think the timing works all that well, but that's what they gave me to work with here._

**Chapter 4: Auggie's Apartment, after Annie breaks into Tony's house**

ANNIE: I have to do this for _you_. And we have to move fast—before Belenko makes his next move.

AUGGIE: Let me figure out which labs can make tetrotodoxin and see if any names pop up in intelligence circles on people who might be selling it.

ANNIE: Sounds good. Do you…do you mind if I hang out here while you're looking?

AUGGIE: _[mildly reproachful] _You mean McQuaid's not waiting for you at home?

ANNIE: _[uncomfortable silence] _You know, _I__'__m_ the one who's had to watch _you_ sleeping with two different women the last few months.

AUGGIE: Maybe. But I'm not the one who said she didn't want to be involved with _anyone_. I just didn't realize that _anyone _just meant _me._

_[He walks past her to the kitchen counter, facing away from her. Then trailing the counter with one hand he goes on to the fridge, as Annie finally turns, watching him, a sad, slightly puzzled look on her face, as if she doesn__'__t know what to say. He stands for a moment with his hand on the door, then opens it and grabs out two beers. He goes back to the counter and sets them both down as Annie walks around the counter to stand a few feet from him. He holds one bottle out to her with a question on his face. She takes it, then backs up a few steps and leans against the counter.]_

ANNIE: It didn't mean just you, Auggie. But I — I know it must seem like that. I can't explain it. I can't explain myself. Not since I went dark. I don't understand what's going on in my head. And…you deserve better than that. You deserve someone who's whole and here and not…not _me. _

AUGGIE: But you're good enough for McQuaid—that it?

ANNIE: _[Shrugs, then seems to recognize that he won__'__t be able to see that.] _It just _happened. _You and I didn't just _happen. _This thing, with Ryan, it's just a thing. For now. I'm not looking down the road, or even beyond tomorrow. Eventually I'm going to face the music with him, too. Just not today—not right after he almost died. _[pleading tone] _I hope you—does that make sense at all?

_[They both realize at the same moment that they__'__re still standing with their unopened beer bottles, and they both twist off the caps and take a drink.]_

AUGGIE: Doesn't matter if it makes sense to me, if it works for you. _[He takes another long drink, and sets the bottle down a little hard on the counter.]_ I need to get working on those labs, or we'll be up all night.

_[He heads back to his computer, sits, puts on his headphone, and starts researching. Annie watches him with a little smile on her face for a few minutes, sipping her beer. Then she comes over to the couch next to him, and curls up on one end of it, continuing to watch him. It only takes a few moments before he looks up in her direction, taps on the keyboard, and pushes the headphones down off his ears.]_

AUGGIE: You know I can't concentrate when you're staring at me. Can you make yourself useful and find Belenko's flight itinerary to and from Istanbul?

ANNIE: You're thinking he stopped to pick up the tetrodotoxin on his way home? What if he had a middleman?

AUGGIE: Can't assume that - otherwise we got nothing. Can someone at McQuaid Security get you the itinerary, or you need me to get Barber or Holman to get it?

ANNIE: I can get it.

_[She stands and pulls out her phone, and walks toward the kitchen as she scrolls through her contacts. In a moment, she__'__s on the phone and Auggie tunes her out as he turns his attention back to the laptop and pulls the headphones over his ears again.]_

_[Annie stays on the phone only a few minutes, but when she gets off, she stays at the kitchen counter, perching on a stool and opening the web browser on her phone. Five minutes goes by, and her phone buzzes as she gets a text. It says, __"__Check email - Belenko itinerary.__" __Annie checks her email, reads the itinerary, and gets up excitedly, heading back toward Auggie. She perches on the edge of the sofa next to him and leans over, hands on her knees.]_

ANNIE: Auggie, I got it. He went through London on the way there, but he stopped in Essen, Germany coming back. That can't be random - nobody flies to Essen unless they have a reason. Most connections from the U.S. to Turkey are routed through London or Frankfurt.

AUGGIE: Okay. I got the labs. _[Pauses to read the Braille display.]_ Number 3 on the list: KLF Chemical, in—

ANNIE: Let me guess: Essen?

AUGGIE: We have a winner.

_[She stands, crosses the 18 inches between them and lays her hand on his shoulder.] _

ANNIE: I'll get myself on a redeye to Essen tonight. Just gotta run home and pack a bag.

AUGGIE: I'll dig into KLF, see what intel I can come up with that might help you find an in, figure out who might be on Belenko's payroll.

ANNIE: Or in his bed, like Caitlin was.

AUGGIE: Good point. I'll do some research on the scientists, see if any match a profile. I'll put everything I find on a flash drive and bring it to your place if you'll text me the address.

ANNIE: I'm going to have McQuaid Security get me a car to the airport. I can have the driver stop by here and pick it up on his way.

AUGGIE: No offense, but I don't trust anyone at McQuaid's outfit. I'll bring it to you.

ANNIE: _[Smiling, with a tender look on her face, she rolls her eyes.]_ Okay, Mr. Conspiracy Theory. Can I just have the driver come get _you_ and bring you to my place? You really don't need to get a cab or take a bus at 10 at night.

AUGGIE: This whole thing is one big conspiracy theory. If you want to send McQuaid's car for me, that's fine. Just tell me when he'll be here.

ANNIE: I'll text you.

AUGGIE: _[Nodding.] Okay_. _[He starts to put the headphones back on and she stops him.]_

ANNIE: Hey, lock the door behind me, okay?

AUGGIE: _[He kind of blows out a laugh, half-smiling and shaking his head, but after a second he takes the headphones off and stands to follow her to the door.]_ Listen, it's going to be fine. We really don't have any choice here. We've gotta follow this lead and see where it takes us.

ANNIE: I know. Just don't take any chances until we get Belenko. I really think you should call Joan and at least fill her in. You should be in a safe house. You're a sitting duck in this apartment.

AUGGIE: That's a stretch. We don't even know what the connection is between my unit and Belenko. And Charlie was killed months ago, so he's obviously not in a hurry. Whatever his deal is, we've got time to figure it out. I'm going back to work next Monday, so I can talk to Joan then. Okay?

ANNIE: _[looking worried] _No, it's not okay. But I know I can't change your mind once it's made up.

AUGGIE: Wonder who I got that from? _[He flashes a teasing half-smile at her, then jerks his head toward the door.] _Go on, you've got a plane to catch.

ANNIE: _[Reaches down and grabs his hand to give it a squeeze. Pauses for a moment, then gives him a quick hug.] _I'll text you about the car. Keep the door locked.

AUGGIE: Will do. Go.

_[She finally yanks the door open and slips out. He pushes it to, and turns the lock, then hits the lights and stands in the dim light for a moment, then heads back to the computer.]_


End file.
